Jesus. Right-wingers bleating about “free speech” and “violating first amendment rights”… this is what an actual, real violation of free speech rights looks like. The government is punishing someone for what they said. Not just that, but the second blatant violation of an entity’s free speech rights by Desantis in Florida, after punishing Disney for their position. And what an incredibly inoffensive thing to punish them over! Being against gun violence… I guess this means the GQP’s official position now is that they’re for gun violence.
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I’m sorry, aren’t these the same people saying it should be illegal to moderate content on social media based on their political content?
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Not a chance in hell Trump would go tor that. He didn’t want the POTUS job because he wanted to govern, he wanted the job because he’s an egotistical bastard who wanted the prestige that came with the office and harbored a not-so-secret hope that he might get his smug face carved into the side of Mount Rushmore.
Accepting the VP slot would mean A) accepting a demotion, B) handing over control of the party to someone who might have other priorities than “praise Trump 24/7,” and C) Trump having a boss for the first time in his adult life. The very idea would be an unbearable humiliation.
Also I can’t really see DeSantis or anyone else wanting Trump as a VP. Anyone ambitious enough to seek the Presidency isn’t going to want that jackass stealing the limelight and sabotaging their own agendas.
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Again, how is this not a blatant violation of the 1st amendment?
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Makes sense. GQP is a forced-birth/imposed-death cult.
Trump is too arrogant/narcissistic to take the deal, but it would give him everything he wants: freedom from prosecution, running out the clock, return to the trough of sweetheart deals domestically/abroad. All with even less oversight/responsibility. He could do that for 8 years and then run for POTUS. Good luck getting any prosecution going versus an 87 year-old Trump in 2036. (If he simply runs for POTUS in '24, he cannot be VPOTUS in '28.)
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Again, this would only be violation of 1st amendment if the Rays were prevented from making their original statement.
I missed the part where DeSantis passed a law preventing the Rays’ press release.
This is not violation of 1st Amendment. Just garden variety GQP cancel-culture/identity politics.
This is retaliation against the Tampa Rays for speaking out against gun violence. The first amendment protects individuals (natural and legal) against being punished for their speech, either proactively or retroactively.
The fascist part is DeSatan not caring that this is blatantly illegal. He could have easily said he vetoed the bill because he doesn’t believe the State should subsidize professional sports or a multi-billion dollar industry. It would be next to impossible for the Rays to prove otherwise, and hard to win a lawsuit over this abuse of power. Instead, he is clearly telling everyone who will listen that he will use the vast powers of the state against anyone who crosses him.
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Somebody posted on one of those Twitter things that maybe the Rays should stop contributing to republicans in the state and then posted the 65 grand they gave to the republicans.
Seems like they’re covering all their bases. (see what I did there?)
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Why on earth does a professional sports franchise that pays it’s players hundreds of millions of dollars need government funding for a practice facility? I live in Canada and government funding for this type of thing is common, but I never thought the US would support a multimillion dollar private enterprise with taxpayer money.
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Corporate welfare in its various forms has been a major aspect of the “free” market in the U.S. since the 1980s (earlier if you count the military-industrial complex). It’s one of the many lies of neoliberalism. Stadium boondoggles rank high in terms of blatant ridiculousness, but there are plenty of other examples.
Now fascist government officials in this corrupt system are taking matters to the next logical step, not only rewarding cronies with quid-pro-quo deals but openly punishing ones who step out of line with the ruling party’s social and nationalist doctrine.
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He was peeved at Disney for not supporting his anti-gay school law, so he pulled their local tax-district carve out. He’s mad at the Rays for being against school shootings, so he block their corporate welfare stadium deal. It seems like DeSantis can be tricked into anti-corporate good governance by baiting him culture war red meat. Let’s tell him that Jeff Bezos has said mean things about Trump. Eliminating Right to Work provisions in Florida would really show him!
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I see you have never heard of the oil industry. Or the coal industry. Or the steel industry. Or…
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It is an oddity and considered ‘rare’ when a stadium is funded without a taxpayer bond or taxpayer money. The bullshit reasoning is that it is bringing commerce, tourism, and jobs to a region. I doubt all those jobs selling overpriced peanuts and beer amount to much in comparison to the $100s of Millions in cheap to free financing the sports folks get for showing up.
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Except the gangsters have at least some code of ethics and that the mafia do not see eye to eye with fascists
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Awww. Bless!
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Free speech for me and not for thee.
(See also forgiveness, benefit of a doubt and innocent until proven guilty)
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I get what you’re saying but it’s pretty clear that the haphazard and legally sloppy manner in which Florida is ending the Reedy Creek Improvement District can’t be called “good governance” if the taxpayers are suddenly stuck with a ton of bond debt as a result.
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Just about the only neighbourhood businesses that benefit from a new taxpayer-subsidised stadium or arena are price-gouging parking lots (because somehow running a new mass transit line into the neighbourhood is never a priority when considering the supposed “public goods” the project will bring). Not a lot of added value there.
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I’m paraphrasing George Carlin in an interview with Larry King but the gist of it has always stuck with me. He asked, “Why are people who build sports stadiums getting tax breaks? If you can afford to build a stadium you can afford to pay taxes.”
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Reactionary governance by spite.
'tis the Trumpsantis way…
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